Museum Collections: Carved Hippo

The House of Faberge may have been best known for its Easter eggs. However, under Faberge's direction, the workshops produced a wide range of items, including dinner and tea services, frames for miniature portraits, and various animals like this charming hippo. Produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Walters, this reproduction is cast in polymer especially formulated to match the look of the jade original. The eyes are made of Austrian crystal. 2 x 1 1/8 x 1 inches.